Most of the new funding will be used to compensate local and global automakers for discounts given dealers in a market where, according to WardsAuto data, sales fell 29.7% year-on-year in June and were off 36.4% through the first half of the year....More
Through June, FCA says the diesel makes up 18% of the Ram 1500s shipped from the plant but only 12% of the retail mix. The automaker says a 20% retail mix remains in sight. But it should have been achieved by now....More
The automaker denies a report by the Korean government’s Yonhap news agency that it will build a second U.S. plant to meet demand for CUVs, a market segment in which it offers only two models....More
Group Vice President Doug Murtha says buyer demographics for the iA sedan and iM hatchback basically are the same as those for any car in the Scion lineup: people who want a high-mileage, affordable new small car that isn’t bare-bones....More
To maintain Q1’s 16.6 million-unit SAAR, April’s sales volume will need to equal a higher percentage of March’s inventory than indicated by usual month-to-month patterns....More
Gasoline prices below $2.50 per gallon means other global GMC markets, such as the oil-exporting Middle East, are seeing demand tick back, GMC Vice President Duncan Aldred says....More
Honda’s Civic and Hyundai’s Elantra and Sonata used to fly off dealer lots, but this year the models are lingering, with days’ supply of the Civic and Sonata exceeding 100....More
Trucks have become so popular that January marked the third consecutive month combined sales of CUVs, SUVs and pickups accounted for more than half the U.S. market, the first 3-month stretch that ever has happened....More
U.S. January inventory is enough to meet February demand equal to a seasonally adjusted annual rate ranging from 16.8 million to 17 million units without abnormally high market inducements....More
JLR North America President Joe Eberhardt’s immediate task is holding the line on sales while the automaker nudges capacity farther ahead of demand....More
* BMW and China dealers reach settlement over subsidies
* Dealers say $820 mln deal struck, BMW declines confirm
details
* Toyota also negotiating with dealers in China
(Adds details about BMW's ageing product range, analyst
comment)
By Samuel Shen and Edward Taylor...More
The China Auto Dealers Assn. contends foreign automakers effectively obligate retailers to buy their cars, leaving them with bloated inventories and lower profits....More
Inventory of some key segments that perform well on a seasonal basis in December could be wanting, including Large Pickups, Large and Large Luxury SUVs and Lower Luxury cars....More
Healthy stock levels mean manufacturers won’t be foreced to offer bargain-basement deals to rid dealers of excess inventory prior to entering the seasonally low-volume first-quarter....More
Ford’s chief marketer says he expects the new aluminum-intensive F-150 to increase its market share while retaining high average-transaction prices....More
Combined sales of CUVs, SUVs and pickups are on course to hit 50% of LV volume for the first time in any quarter during the October-December period....More
Strikes at Kia’s plants in Korea are less severe than those a year ago, and shouldn’t impact the brand’s U.S. days’ supply too much, says a top U.S. Kia official....More
The 2018 Wards 10 Best Interiors competition is under way, and 40 vehicles are facing close inspection for fit-and-finish, ergonomics, materials, comfort and aesthetics. Today's gallery focuses on the ’19 Volvo XC40, a 5-passenger compact luxury CUV with a sticker price of $45,935.
WardsAuto speaks with Tim Russi, Ally’s president-auto finance, and Clearlane founder Jeff Danford about a car-buying process that started at dealerships’ special-financing operations but now is online and appealing to more than just the credit-challenged....More
